Re: An INCOMPLETE solution - was [Re: Where is data stored when Synaptic scans DVDs?]

[David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk>]

On Sat 25 Mar 2017 at 10:50:50 (+0000), Curt wrote:
> Actually, srcpkgcache.bin includes the information contained in the files
> in /var/lib/apt/lists; that is, all the info you obtain from the internet
> via your deb and deb-src lines -- this information changes only on
> apt-get update.
> 
> pkgcache.bin caches the information in srcpkgcache.bin + the information
> extracted from the apt and dpkg status files. This info changes on every
> install/remove done by apt or directly by dpkg.
> 
> The above scandalously pilfered from David Kalnischkies here:
> 
> https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=566275

Thanks for the useful reference. Whether it ties in to what apt-cdrom
does, I don't know and have no way of testing.

> You can run 'strings' on pkgcache.bin BTW.
> 
> curty@einstein:/var/cache/apt$ strings pkgcache.bin | less
> 
> Standard .deb
> amd64
> /var/lib/apt/lists/httpredir.debian.org_debian_dists_wheezy_main_binary-amd64_Packages
> httpredir.debian.org
> Debian Package Index
> 0~r11863-2
> games
> 0ad-data
> 0~r11863
> 0~r11863-2
> gamin
> libboost-signals1.49.0
> 1.49.0-1
> libc6
> 2.11
> libcurl3-gnutls
> <etc>
> 
> It doesn't appear that tricky.

What doesn't?

Getting a ¼million-line output file is straightforward, but
have you tried to interpret it? What do you think it shows?

Cheers,
David.